Nevertheless, she persisted: Feminist women overcoming career adversity through communities of support

Abstract

Through an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis design, this study explored career experiences of eight self-identified feminist women. This study contributes to existing literature through focusing on the intersection of feminist identity and career development. The findings indicated that having a community of support, particularly from other women, is influential in career progression. All participants noted adversity, however, they recognized when situations were either sexist or unfair and did not appear to internalize these experiences. Implications include making space to discuss the impact of social identities on life decisions, prioritizing inclusive environments that mitigate adversity, and fostering communities of support.